Birds Damaged Margo The Firebird
by SoulfullyInclined
Summary: Basically, a rewrite of 'Damaged Birds'. But hopefully better. *Life and quality of the story depends on the reviews*. *Please Leave More Than A 2 Word Review*. *Please Review*. *Be Nice/Kind*. *Thank you for reading/reviewing*.
1. Chapter 1

On that early Monday morning in September, Monday morning, I was at the ballet studio in a cold medium size rectangular locker room of the big tall ballet school in downtown denver I went to twice a day every day, from 5 - 7 a.m. and p.m. it was between 4 and 5. The locker room smelled like ben gay, minty and early morning, cold and wet. it was quiet. None of the ballet classes had started yet and no one else had come into the room. It was nice being the only one here but also lonely. I was tired.

The locker room was small, with 3 walls that had tall metal lockers along them, the door in the 4th, a carpeted floor and 2 wooden benches.

I was stretching on the yellow carpeted floor. The carpeting wasn't thick and therefore uncomfortable but even moreso for me since I was anorexic. I smelled like dove body wash. My right leg was stretched out in front of me while the left was pushed uup against my thigh. My long legs were in thin white tights and the rest of me was in a thin black leotard and black pointe shoes. My long dark hair was in a bun.

I switched legs moving slowly as I often did. Then put them together and stretched out over them. This was harder for some reason. After which I leaned back and put my hands behind me. I rolled each of my 2 narrow feet in circles and then together. Then I put my feet against each other.

After that I stood and bent down. Then came back up. It was 4:30 by now.

Some students chose to stretch in the locker room, some in the studio though it was preferred you stretched in the locker room. Most of the students came in at 4:30. Class started at 5.

The class was a pointe class. I'd been taking it since I was 13. I was now 15. Most of the students had been taking ballet since we were 4 which meant that we went on pointe when we were 13. Different teachers had different opinions of when the right time was for a dancer to go on pointe, and so because of this the students in the class tried to stay with the same ballet school throughout their years of studying ballet.

Pointe shoes were expensive and usually came in pink, white or black but often other colors for the shows we were in. this depended on what part we were playing.

Each dancer had 3 pairs of pointe shoes; one for class, one for rehearsal and one for shows. We had to keep replacing them, and our toe wrappings. A lot of dancers went through 1 pair a show.

Our ballet school had a show - Dracula - on October 15 and then several on the 28, 29, 30, 31 and November 1. On that very day we started rehearsing for the Nutcracker, which we performed November 15, November 30, December 1, December 15, Christmas and December 30. After which we started rehearsal for our valentines day show Romeo and Juliet.

I wanted a lead part in this year's upcoming performance of Dracula, which meant I had to get to the studio earlier than most of the students to do more stretching, more practicing as the lead has a lot more work to do than anyone. Which I hadn't yet started doing. And id have to stay later too untill about 8 or 9. I pulled out my small phone and texted this to my mom and sister Vanessa. My mom had told us wed all have phones when we were 13. Not only the leads but also the main characters. If I didn't get the lead my next choice was one of the women who seduces Johnathon when he's at Dracula's castle. I had the hair for it, dark and long. I realise that my hoping to get the lead and my hair weren't the only requirements. It also depended on how good a dancer I was.

Vanessa, 17, was a mystic who loved the story of Dracula. One of the many subjects we often talked about.

In a way being on pointe was another form of self-destruction along w/ cutting and not eating. It changed your feet, legs, ankles and toes. We often got bruises and tendon and leg pain.

I knew about self destruction because I cut, as did Vanessa, sometimes. I wasn't sure if my younger sister Claire, 13, did or not.

13 was a defining age in my life. One example of this was it was when I first got my period.

At her age, Claire was already a model, which was surprising because most young women her age didn't start modeling untill they were older.

I'd had breakfast at my big white house where I lived w/ my parents and 6 siblings - 2 sisters and 4 brothers. Id had a muffin at 3, before I left for class. I'd grabbed a Luna bar on the way out the front door. At the time everyone in my family had been still asleep. The buses didn't start running until 6 a.m. and neither of my parents were awake so I'd had to walk to the studio. It was a long walk. It had been dark and cold out at the time and still was. Next month it would probably snow.

We usually started class at the barre with plies, ron de jombs, tendus, battemants, degegas, pointe work and other, then moved to the center after which we traveled across the floor and finished at the barre. It was hard work, tiring, but worth it in the end.

My family and I were originally from CT but had moved to denver awhile ago.

One of the girls in the class, Anna Nicole, walked into the locker room. She was usually early. She was pretty; tall, thin with long dark hair and dark eyes. Like me, she had her hair pinned up and was wearing a black leotard, white tights and pointe shoes. She sat down on the floor and started stretching.

Other than the fact that she was in the ballet class I was in, I didn't know much about her.

"Hey Margo," she said when she saw me.

"Hey," I said.

She went over to her tall metal locker.

"How are you?"

"Ok," I replied honestly.

"Oh."

I didn't usually say much to people I didn't know much about.

She opened her locker and stuffed her long purple duffel bag in, then sat on the floor next to me and began stretching.

Her eyes went up and down my thin figure. I wanted to ask 'what', as I was bothered by this but decided it was too early to start an argument esp. w/ someone I barely knew. So I didn't say anything just waited.

"you're, um," she began from her spot on the floor: "maybe its none of my business but you're getting thin. I mean you've always been thin but."

"well you have to be to be in ballet."

"yeah."

She looked away.

I was sensitive about my weight.


	2. Chapter 2

It'd been quite a long day cloudy and then sunny off and on. It was now dark and cold out again. I was walking to the bus stop that night from the ballet school after yet another ballet class. It was raining, but there wasn't any thunder or lightning. I had my umbrella over me. The air smelled wet and I was colder than usual due to the rain and air.

I'd had ballet from 5 – 7 and stayed until 8 to practice by myself. I'd be home by 9.

I knew the steps and choreography that were required for the audition, which was in a few weeks. I needed to get in as much practice as I possibly could. I knew the story of Dracula. I realised though that I needed to practice w/ another person to get the dancing duet. Maybe I could ask Anna Nicole. When I see her tomorrow morning before class id make it a point to ask. Our ballet school always practiced before we held auditions. She seemed nice.

School'd been alrite, boring. Long. I was in my first yr first month of high school. It went from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. the classes I took were history, English, science and math w/ a break in between for lunch. Which was 11 - 1 if you didn't have any scheduled classes during that time. Students who were in the 2 upper yrs of school did and sometimes either morning or night classes depending on what they chose. Vanessa was one of those. Claire was still in middle school.

Vanessa and I went to the same high school south by wash park. Along w/ the 4 classes we both took she also took French, art, cheerleading, gymnastics, swimming adding 3 extra hours to her day. She had cheerleading, gymnastics and swimming on alternating days after and before school. French and art were during school. I'd been meaning to talk to her about gymnastics and swimming tell her I wanted to take both. If I didn't get the lead that gave me more time to take those since there were certain rehearsal days that were only for the leads of ballet.

As usual at this time of day, Vanessa, Claire and the my brothers were out, Dad was at the office and Mom was at her book club meeting. My parents would be home by 10, I wasn't sure about Claire or Vanessa or the my brothers. My older sister Molly was our oldest sister she was 19 and in college where she lived. She also had a babysitting business on the side. When my mom got home she might make me a late dinner.


	3. Chapter 3

It was 9 that night and I'd just entered my big lit house. No one else was there but I knew Claire would be within the next hr.

I'd put my stuff in my room upstairs and was now sitting on the big white smooshy sofa watching tv and eating luna bars. I wondered if one of my sisters wanted to do something tonight. I was watching married w/ children. It was funny. I knew eventually I'd drift apart from my dad just like Vanessa had. But that wasn't yet. Claire still had a few yrs.

The house was quiet other than the tv. The tall white wooden front door was locked. Since it was Monday that means Vanessa had cheerleading from 4 - 6 so she should've already been home by now. Unless she was out w/ her friends or working at the bookstore which closed at 9 and was downtown. She had this job daily. My parents had told me when I was 17 I could get a job.

Untill Vanessa, Claire and my parents got home I had the house entirely to myself.


	4. Chapter 4

It was 10 when the tall white wooden front door opened and in came Claire closing it behind her.

"hey," she said dropping her stuff on the wooden floor by the door, the entryway, and coming into the big living room.

"hey," I said looking her way.

"moms at the store Vanessa's at work. Shell be back by 11 mom by midnight," Claire informed me.

I looked at her: "ok."

Then from her to her stuff on the floor, back up at her: "you'll have to-" I began meaning shed have to put her stuff in her room before mom or Vanessa got home.

Claire looked at me: "yeah I know."

She was slightly annoyed at having to be reminded again..

"or ill do it. I've been back since 9."

I was saying since id been back for an hr Id had time to rest before going on to the next activity.

"ok sure."

It was one of moms rules that all our personal stuff had to go in our rooms when we got home before she or dad or Vanessa did to clear the entryway for guests.

I got up w/ her following. I got to claires stuff and picked it up and started carrying it up the wide white carpeted stairs that led to the 2nd floor where our bedrooms were. She followed.

"lock the door?" I asked: "how was class? How'd you get home? Have you had dinner? Do you want dinner?"

Behind me I could feel her smile.

"yes," she replied: "ok. Bus. No. and yeah ill just microwave something."

I stopped: "uh….bus? You know we cant take the bus untill were 15."

That was another one of moms rules along w/ the cell phone thing.

"yeah I know but. My friend was sick we couldn't get ahold of her mom and I didn't have the money for a cab."

"oh ok."

"don't tell?" my youngest sister asked desperate not to be found out.

"don't worry I wont."

"ok."

We continued up the stairs.

"so," she began.

"yeah?"

"modeling's gotten boring. We always model the same thing. But apparently he wants you since he's seen you in shows and thinks you could model ballet wear. Er. Dance wear. You could come w/ me and talk to him this weekend if you want."

"ill think about it."

"ok let me know by wed. well have to call Adam so he can take us. Id rather have my brother knowing than my dad."

"yeah I know."

Wed reached the top of the stairs and headed down the hall to claires room. As a model she made $150 an hr for 5 hrs since she worked 5 days a wk. which is how much I could be making. If I wanted to. That would help me out a lot w/ the cost of toe shoes but it would also mean I'd have less time. Which comes out to be $750 a week and that's $3,000 a month which is. $36,000 a year. And she only just started.

"he knows about your schedule and says you could go at night. Again ill talk to Adam," Claire told me.

"ok."

Adam was our brother. Brian and nick were the other ones. We both knew id rather have my brothers take me than dad.

"how's jen?" I asked of my sisters best friend.

Jen used to be 'jenny' but changed it when she got older.

"she's ok. How's Karen?" Claire asked of a friend of mine.

"im not sure. I haven't talked to her in awhile."

"oh. She comin by?"

"I don't know she might."

"ok. what about matt and john?" Claire asked of other friends of mine.

"not sure."

"if john comes you know hell cook," Claire said.

We were now in her room.

We both smiled.

"yeah I do. Oh I meant to make you something if you wanted me to," I told Claire.

"uh wow sure ok."

"I can make beans or pasta or latkes or grilled cheese. Or I could microwave something for you."

"um pastas good," Claire told me.

"ok."

We started walking out of her room. I heard a phone ringing and realised that it was mine which I'd left in my room.

"ill get that," I said.

Claire looked at me: "well I don't think you'd want me to."

"well no."

"and ill get the ingredients out."

"ok."

She went downstairs and I went into my room.

"yeah?" I said into my phone answering it.

"hey its me," Karen said, "were coming by."

"ok um we?" I asked.

"myself and my friends Pam and Natalie. you'll like them they're nice. Your mom said it was ok. At some point I want you to meet Amanda and Nancy. And then Hannah. But not yet."

"oh ok."

We hung up.

At that moment as I was leaving my room the doorbell rang.

"ill get it!" Claire said as I headed down the stairs.

"ok," I muttered.

The door opened and I heard someone enter. Their footsteps were big which meant it was a guy.

"oh hi! Good to see you!" Claire said to whoever it was.

"hi honey you too," the guy said.

From his voice I knew it was my friend john.

"come in come in."

"thank you."

Id reached the bottom of the stairs where my friend john was waiting. He looked up at me. He was tall w/ dark skin eyes and hair. Claire was my height 5'4. And thin. john was in a long sleeve button down blue shirt and pants.

"well hello dear. You look good."

"I'm just wearing pajamas. And hello to you too," I said coming down the stairs.

Ever since realising I was interested in him I was shyer around john than usual. Which was why I hadn't thanked him but he understood and this didn't upset him.

After I got home I'd changed into a pair of green and black plaid fleece pajama pants and a gray short sleeve shirt. My hair was up but not formally. By which I mean it was in a loop.

"well you always look good though," we hugged then let go.

"where's matt?" I asked.

"w/ your brothers."

"ok. Who wants chicken?"

"well both of us do."

We walked into the big cold lit kitchen where john set the chicken on the wooden counter in the middle. All the counters and cabinets were wooden. It was quiet in there but not empty. the proximity of people was felt and noticed. The walls, ceiling and fridge were white the floor wooden. The kitchen didn't smell like anything nor did my house.

"um karens coming by and her friends Pam and Natalie who I've not met but apparently I'd like them."

"I don't think any of us have," Claire said.

"ok," john said.

The doorbell rang again and I went back into the living room. In the kitchen I heard Claire and john talking. He was asking her how class was and listening when she told him modeling had gotten boring.

I smiled on my way to the door. John was that way warm friendly nice and caring to everyone he met. His older sisters Reba and jessi were that way too. And his parents. That was one reason I loved being at their house. They really took you in….took care of you. I hoped I'd be there soon. And I was hoping some day wed get beyond just friends.

Reba and charlotte were Vanessa's friends. and Haley. Her brother matt and rebas brother john were my friends. And Karen. And Maria. Karen's friends are Amanda, Pam, Hannah Nancy and Natalie. Who I didn't know well but wanted to get to know.


	5. Chapter 5

A few minutes later the doorbell rang. John went and answered it. It was karen. Behind her stood a blonde and a brunette they were both pretty.

"hi sweetie," john greeted karen.

She smiled at him: "hi."

He looked at the blonde and brunette: "well hello. Im john."

He stuck out his hand.

"hi pam," the introduced.

"im Natalie," the blonde said.

"im margo nice to meet you," I said looking at them.

They introduced themselves to Claire.

They came in closing the door behind them.

"what can I help you with?" john asked coming over to me.

"um well I was just about to make dinner for Claire," I replied.

"and yourself I take it?"

"oh no."

He looked at me with his head tilted, slightly disappointed.

"well ok if you don't want any. Ill go get started."

"hey jens coming she just texted me," Claire said.

I looked at her: "ok."

John went into the kitchen.

"he is the nicest person," pam said.

"I know," Natalie said.

"yeah he really is. Hes just a genuine nice guy," I said happy.

I went to sit on the sofa. Pam and Natalie joined me.

Within the next few mins claires best friend and girlfriend jen came in. Claire had given her a key awhile ago.

She came in and they kissed. Theyd been going out for awhile.

She sat on the sofa. I noticed that pam had her arm around karen. I wondered if they were together. Meanwhile I was still single but interested in john.


End file.
